Tamarac Dismisses Fiscal Chief

TAMARAC — Finance Director Steve Wood has been fired, an apparent victim of the bankruptcy of ESM Government Securities Inc. and a battle with Mayor Philip Kravitz.

``I have decided that your removal from your position as finance director is necessary for the good of the city,`` City Manager Elly Johnson said in a memo to Wood.

Wood`s firing was announced at Wednesday`s meeting of the City Council, which returned a no-confidence vote against Wood on April 24.

Wood, who has held his job for 5 1/2 years, had directed the city to invest $7.4 million with ESM, a Fort Lauderdale-based securities firm that collapsed March 4.

Wood referred comments to his attorney, Henry B. Rothblatt. Rothblatt said legal action would be taken against the city.

``Steve Wood will not take this lying down,`` Rothblatt said. ``The mayor got what he wanted and he got it at the taxpayers` expense.``

Kravitz called for the April no-confidence vote and asked Johnson to prepare a recommendation about Wood`s future with the city.

At the time, Johnson said Wood was the best finance director he had worked with, but Johnson declined to comment Wednesday on the firing.

Council member Ray Munitz, a Kravitz foe, said, ``I hope Steve Wood sues the city and ruins Phil Kravitz because he (Kravitz) deserves to be ruined.``

Munitz said Kravitz pressured Johnson into firing Wood. ``The manager thought if he didn`t (fire Wood) he would be fired,`` Munitz said.

Rothblatt said Wood offered to resign in return for a settlement of six months` salary, about $26,000.

In return, Wood would agree not to take legal action against the city and to testify on the city`s behalf in a lawsuit against ESM.

City Attorney Jon Henning said Wednesday the city was not considering any settlement. Wood`s dismissal is effective Friday.

Kravitz said the ESM collapse was not a major factor in his wanting Wood fired, but cited the rapid pay raises and promotions of his former deputy finance director, Linda Schreiber-Baker, whose salary was increased from $13,409 to about $34,000 a year during her three-year tenure with the city.

Baker left the city to become finance director of Pompano Beach, which invested about $11 million with ESM. She resigned last month.

Wood was acting city manager for two months last summer before Johnson was hired and has won awards for his accounting work with the city.